Concentrating on contact, not power, Guardians an anomaly October 12 sharefacebooktwitterredditlink NEW YORK (AP) Chris Valaika knows about making contact. He singled off Santiago Casilla back in 2010 on the very first pitch he saw in the major leagues.I wanted to stay aggre sive my first at-bat, Valaika recalled with a smile. That was more of my identity. I dont want to say that I took my playing career and tried to push that on my players.Valaika is in his first season as hitting coach of the Cleveland when their best-of-five AL Division Series resumes Thursday night weather permitting.Clevelands 1,122 strikeouts were the fewest by far in the major leagues and its .254 batting average was sixth best, 10 points above the big league average. The major leagues youngest team was just 29th among the 30 clubs in homers 127 to the Yankees big league-best 254.Manager Terry Francona says the plan is tied to personnel Jarrett Culver Jersey .If we had nine guys that were capable of hitting 40 home runs, our philosophy would be a little different, because you just try to put your players in the best position to succeed, he said before Wednesdays workout. You dont try to ask them to do things they cant, and you try to do the things they do well more often. Thats kind of Coaching 101.Steven Kwan didnt swing and mi s until the 116th pitch he faced in the major leagues, in his sixth game when he swung over a curveball from Cincinnatis Nick Lodolo. The Jimmy Butler Jersey contact streak was the longest in the major leagues at the start of a career since at least 2000, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, and the first mi s came in Kwans 40th swing.Kwan finished ninth in the AL in batting (.298) and on-base percentage (.397). His 9.0% strikeout rate was second in the major leagues behind Minnesotas Luis Arraez and the fifth-best since Statcast started tracking in 2015.In an age when batters are browbeaten with launch angles aimed to produce longballs, the Guardians are an anomaly.I think that came from Tito early in spring training, talking about we are going to have to do the little things right to win ballgames," Kwan said, referring to his manager by his nickname. First and third, getting the run over, sac flies. Thats just kind of the identity from day one, and luckily we were able to kind of work through that. In terms of the home runs, weve done a really good job this year of keeping our head down and not listening to any of the noise.Contact has become scant in the playoffs. Even with a two-game opening-round sweep of Tampa Bay, the Guardians have scored four runs and struck out 35 times.Still, the approach doesnt Andrew Wiggins Jersey change.We knew coming into this year that we were going to have to be different," Valaika said. "So that was a big part of when we talked about continuing to make contact, have a two-strike approach, situational hitting. I think a lot of teams talk about that, but I thought our guys did a really good job of making that part of our identity.Shane Bieber, a two-time All-Star and the 2020 AL Cy Young Award winner, faces Aaron Judge & Co. for Cleveland and left-hander Nestor Cortes will be on the mound for the Yankees. Rain is forecast, and a postponement would lead to the teams po sibly playing four games in a row.Biebers 2021 season was limited by a strained right shoulder. He was 4-6 in late July this season before going 9-2 with a 2.04 ERA in his last 13 starts. He pitched three-hit ball over seven innings against the Rays in Fridays wild-card opener, allowing only Jose Siris sixth-inning solo homer. Cortes was a first-time All-Star and went 12-4 with a 2.44 ERA. With multiple arm slots and an occasional hesitation delivery, hes become a fan favorite.Hes had to scratch and claw for everything hes gotten. Hes risen from Rondae Hollis-Jefferson Jersey the ranks of non-prospect, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. He combines that, `Im going to treat this like the last game I might ever pitch. Hes competitive as heck, but he has a lot of fun doing what hes doing. A 36th-round draft pick in 2013, Cortes was taken by Baltimore in the 2017 winter meeting draft, returned the following April, traded to Seattle in November 2019 and re-signed by the Yankees as a minor league free agent before the 2021 season.Cortes was 1-0 in two starts this year against the Guardians, striking out 14 in 12 1/3 innings and holding batters to 4 for 40.He glowed with his reception during Tuesday nights introductions.It felt super cool. My parents were in the stands and after the game, they said, `Man, we couldnt believe what we heard out there. So it was kind of surreal for me, Cortes said. I remember walking up to the line and everyone is like, you got the biggest ovation ..."He paused and finished: "Until Judge came up, obviously.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports in this topic American League Cleveland Guardians Major League Baseball Jose Siri Shane Bieber Luis Arraez Aaron Judge Nestor Cortes New York Yankees share Ottawa hosts Los Angeles after Giroux's 2-goal game The Ottawa Senators host the Los Angeles Kings after Claude Giroux's two-goal game against the San Jose Sharks in the Senators' 5-2 win 40 MINS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS Penguins host the Blue Jackets following Kapanen's hat trick The Pittsburgh Penguins host the Columbus Blue Jackets after Kasperi Kapanen's hat trick against the St. Louis Blues in the Penguins' 6-2 win 40 MINS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS Ducks bring losing streak into game against the Hurricanes The Anaheim Ducks aim to end their six-game losing streak when they play the Carolina Hurricanes 41 MINS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS Blackhawks face the Metropolitan Division-leading Devils The Chicago Blackhawks Juan Hernangomez Jersey face the top-ranked team in the Metropolitan Division, the New Jersey Devils 41 MINS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS Tampa Bay in action against Detroit following overtime victory The Tampa Bay Lightning host the Detroit Red Wings after the Lightning took down the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 in overtime 41 MINS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS

The are bound headlong for the first division title since 2008, and they're still in the mix for top overall seed in the American League. In related matters, the Projection System also gives the White Sox a 99.8 percent chance of making the postseason, which is the highest current figure of any AL team. Those are laudable results, but the greater goal -- the goal that will inform any appraisal of the White Sox's 2021 season -- is a deep playoff run. On that front, there's some cause for concern.The White Sox made the expanded postseason in the abbreviated 2020 season, but they were bounced in the opening Robin Lopez Jersey round by the A's, who are not typically in the position of bouncing anyone in the opening round. Then-manager Rick Renteria had guided the Sox to their first winning season since 2012 and their first postseason berth since that aforementioned campaign of 2008. Still and yet, Renteria was let go and replaced by long-retired Hall of Famer Tony La Ru sa. The implicit mandate is that La Ru sa, in his second stint as White Sox manager, would not only get the club back the postseason but get them much closer to the belt and title than Renteria did. It's worth noting that right now La Ru sa's White Sox have a lower win percentage than they did last season under Renteria, but, again, the postseason will be the referendum on one of the strangest job decisions in recent memory.Now back to Otto Porter Jr. Jersey the "cause for concern" noted above. Simply put, the White Sox have played a thoroughly weak schedule in 2021 and have largely flopped against quality competition. Since competition in the postseason is nece sarily of the quality variety, this could be a fatal shortcoming. Fantasy Baseball Today Newsletter Your Cheat Code To Fantasy Baseball You're destined to gain an edge over your friends with advice from the award-winning FBT crew. I agree to receive the "Fantasy Baseball Today Newsletter" and marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers), and other information from CBS Sports and the Paramount family of companies. By pre sing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the . Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. Thanks for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox. Sorry! There was an error proce sing your subscription. On the first point -- the part about the weak schedule -- this is largely a function of playing almost half your games against the largely miserable remainder of the AL Central. Teams in the AL Central other than the White Sox -- i.e., Cleveland, the , the , and the -- all have losing records and all have been out-scored by the opposition by a wide margin. Combined, those four teams are 38 games below .500 and have a run differential of minus-270. As for the White Sox, they've now played 81 games against teams with losing records, or more Washington Wizards Jeresy than two-thirds of their entire schedule. Those 81 games against losing teams make for the highest such figure in all of baseball by a huge margin. As well, the White Sox rank last in all of in strength of schedule. That's what happens when you're the only good team in a division and you don't have to play yourself.All of this could be dismi sed easily enough had the White Sox proved themselves against worthier opponents, but they haven't done that. On Sunday, they dropped the rubber match of their series against the and their highly diminished roster. Add those games into the mix, and the White Sox are now 16-21 against teams with winning records in 2021. Among the seven teams presently in playoff contention in the AL -- i.e., the White Sox, , , , Yankees, , and A's -- only one team, Oakland, has a lower win percentage against above .500 teams than the White Sox do. (If you wish to include the as a contender, then know that they, too, have been better against winning teams than the White Sox.) And if the current playoff positions hold? That would mean the AL playoff field would be the White Sox, Rays, Astros, A's, and Red Sox. This season, the White Sox against those four of those five other teams are a combined 7-12, and in those 19 games the White Sox have posted a run differential of minus-26. (On Monday, the White Sox meet the A's for the first time in 2021, as a four-game set in Chicago begins.)None of this is Rui Hachimura Jersey to say the White Sox are nece sarily doomed this October. Above all, randomne s rules when it comes to playoff baseball, and predicting who's going to emerge from the 10-team fray is typically folly. If you're in the postseason, you nece sarily have a reasonable chance to win it all, and let it be said that the White Sox are genuinely a very good team. Over the last decade, however, only one team Troy Brown Jr. Jersey -- the 2014 -- has won the World Series despite having a losing record against above-.500 teams during the regular season. The prevailing reality is that the White Sox in 2021 have fattened up on le ser competition, which is what they're supposed to do, but won at just a .432 clip against the kinds of teams they're likely to face in the postseason.The Sox's roster is stronger now that it has been all season, what with the semi-recent returns of and and the deadline additions of , , and . While that a semblage very nearly got swept by a Yankees team wracked by COVID and injury, the Sox are about to play 11 straight against the A's, Rays, and Blue Jays. Those, of course, are all teams they could plausibly face in the playoffs, and this presents the Sox with a chance to flip the script of note. To repeat, the White Sox because of their recent trajectory and most especially because of the managerial change have a great deal riding on the playoffs. Thus far, though, they've struggled against the very sort of team that's likely to stand between them and realization of those goals in which they're so heavily invested.

Cardinals take on the Blue Jays on home winning streak May 24 sharefacebooktwitterredditlink Toronto Jerome Robinson Jersey Blue Jays (22-20, third in the AL East) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (24-18, second in the NL Central)St. Louis; Tuesday, 7:45 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Blue Jays: Kevin Gausman (3-3, 2.52 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 57 strikeouts); Cardinals: Jordan Hicks (1-3, 4.21 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 26 strikeouts) LINE: Blue Jays -150, Cardinals +130; over/under is 7 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The St. Louis Cardinals, on a three-game home winning streak, host the Toronto Blue Jays.St. Louis is 24-18 overall and 11-8 in home games. The Cardinals have the eighth-best team slugging percentage in MLB play at .403.Toronto has a 22-20 record overall and a 14-8 record at home. Blue Jays Moritz Wagner Jersey pitchers have a collective 3.67 ERA, which ranks eighth in the AL.Tuesday's game is the second time these teams match up this season.TOP PERFORMERS: Paul Goldschmidt has 16 doubles and seven home runs for the Cardinals. Tommy Edman is 12-for-42 with three doubles, a triple, a home run and five RBI over the last 10 games.George Springer has seven doubles, a triple and eight home runs for the Blue Jays. Santiago Espinal is 13-for-36 with a double and two RBI over the past 10 games.LAST 10 GAMES: Cardinals: 7-3, .307 batting average, 4.04 ERA, outscored opponents by 25 runsBlue Jays: 5-5, .205 batting average, 2.35 ERA, outscored by one runINJURIES: Cardinals: Steven Matz: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Dylan Carlson: 10-Day IL (hamstring), Jack Flaherty: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Tyler O'Neill: 10-Day IL (shoulder), Alex Reyes: 60-Day IL (shoulder)Blue Jays: Tim Mayza: 15 Troy Brown Jr. Jersey -Day IL (forearm), Tayler Saucedo: 10-Day IL (hip), Nate Pearson: 10-Day IL (mono)___The A sociated Pre s created this story using technology provided by in this topic Toronto Blue Jays American League St. Louis Cardinals National League Major League Baseball Jordan Hicks Tyler O'Neill Tim Mayza Santiago Espinal Jack Flaherty Tommy Edman Paul Goldschmidt Dylan Carlson George Springer Alex Reyes Kevin Gausman Toronto Blue Trevor Ariza Jersey Jays St. Louis Cardinals share World Cup fans find booze at hotels, Qatar's 1 liquor store Qatar's strict rules regarding alcohol have drawn attention as it hosts the World Cup 1 HOUR AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS Sterling leaves England World Cup camp after home break-in England forward Raheem Sterling has left his teams World Cup camp in Qatar and returned to the U.K. after a break-in at his home 1 HOUR AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS Ronaldo looks to shine like Mbapp and Me si at World Cup Cristiano Ronaldo has been overshadowed by the brilliance of Lionel Me si and Kylian Mbapp so far at the World Cup 1 HOUR AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS Ottawa hosts Los Angeles after Giroux's 2-goal game The Ottawa Senators host the Los Angeles Kings after Claude Giroux's two-goal game Dwight Howard Jersey against the San Jose Sharks in the Senators' 5-2 win 2 HOURS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS Penguins host the Blue Jackets following Kapanen's hat trick The Pittsburgh Penguins host the Columbus Blue Jackets after Kasperi Kapanen's hat trick against the St. Louis Blues in the Penguins' 6-2 win 2 HOURS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS

For Hoyer, pitching tops to-do list as Cubs try to regroup October 6, 2021 sharefacebooktwitterredditlink CHICAGO (AP) Watching Kyle Schwarber launch another long home run against Gerrit Cole in a wild-card game brought back memories of the slugger's drive to Allegheny River in 2015 for Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer.Back then, Chicago was on the way to the NLCS. A year later, the Cubs won their first World Series championship since 1908. This time, Schwarber helped Boston knock out Cole and the Yankees in a game where another former Cub also homered Anthony Rizzo for New York.I was having 2015, Pittsburgh, PNC Park flashbacks with Schwarbs, Kent Bazemore Jersey Hoyer said Wednesday. Some people put down baseball in October. To me, I can't say I watch every single game; I probably wouldn't be a very good dad if I did that. But I watch as much as I can because this is why we do this.The question for Hoyer is how quickly the Cubs can get back to the playoffs after mi sing out for the second time in seven years. A 71-91 mark left them with their worst record since finishing 66-96 in 2013 and ended a string of six straight winning seasons. They dealt championship core players Kris Bryant, Javier Bez and Rizzo at the trade deadline with the team in a freefall after grabbing the NL Central lead.Now, Hoyer has a lengthy to-do list. Topping it is bolstering a starting rotation that ranked among the worst in baseball.The Cubs also need to find a new hitting coach after Hoyer confirmed the team is parting with Anthony Iapoce. A contract extension for manager David Ro s could be Mychal Mulder Jersey in the works, with the sides having held preliminary talks. He agreed to a three-year deal with a club option for 2023 when he was hired to replace Joe Maddon following the 2019 season.The search also continues for a new general manager. That spot opened when Theo Epstein stepped down in November after nine seasons and Hoyer was promoted to replace him.As for how close the Cubs are to a turnaround?I think it's hard to put timelines on things, Hoyer said. I remember sitting in St. Louis in the summer of 2013 and looking at their lineup and looking at our lineup and feeling we're light years away from being able to compete with them. Two years later, we beat them in the division series.Hoyer said Andrew Bogut Jersey the Cubs will have the financial flexibility to be active in free agency. The question is whether they try to make a big splash by signing a star or fill more gaps through lower-profile moves. Either way, he identified the rotation as the top priority after Cubs starters combined for a 5.27 ERA. Only Texas, Pittsburgh and Baltimore were higher.Kyle Hendricks set career highs with a 4.77 ERA and a major league-leading 200 hits. Zach Davies, acquired from San Diego for Yu Darvish prior to the season, went from a personal-best 2.73 ERA in 2020 to career-worst 5.78.Hoyer said Adbert Alzolay, Justin Steele and Keegan Thompson will play significant roles, whether they're starting or relieving.As for potential free agent signings, Hoyer said the Cubs are not nece sarily trying to win the offseason" by making a big splash.There are teams out there that made huge splashes, they were aggre sive, they were lauded for all the things they did, and they're not playing in October just like us, Hoyer said. As we build this, I think it's really important to make one good decision after another."Hoyer would also like to see more contact and consistency on offense, a sore spot for the Cubs in recent years. They set a major league record with 1,596 strikeouts and ranked 21st in runs.Iapoce oversaw Chicago's minor league hitting program from 2013-15, helping Bryant, Bez and Schwarber develop as they moved through the system. He spent three years as the Texas Rangers' hitting coach before the Cubs hired him for that role in 2018. Iapoce's replacement will be Chicago's seventh hitting coach in 11 seasons.Hoyer also said a sociate pitching, catching and strategy coach Mike Borzello will not be back after Golden State Warriors Hoodie 10 years on staff. ___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports in this topic National League Major League Baseball Chicago Cubs Anthony Rizzo Kyle Schwarber Gerrit Cole Justin Steele Yu Darvish Kyle Hendricks Adbert Alzolay Keegan Thompson Zach Davies Chicago Cubs share Believe the hype, Bellingham is lighting up the World Cup Jordan Henderson knew exactly who to thank after opening the scoring in Englands 3-0 win against Senegal 9 MINS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS Mbapp is bringing soccer to a new dimension at World Cup Cristiano Ronaldos precision 39 MINS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS Poland finds its true level at World Cup, beaten by the best Poland heads home from the World Cup as the latest team unable to resist an inspired Kylian Mbapp 39 MINS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS World Cup fans find booze at hotels, Qatar's 1 liquor store Qatar's strict rules regarding alcohol have drawn attention as it hosts the World Cup 2 HOURS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS Sterling leaves England World Cup camp after home break-in England forward Raheem Sterling has left his teams World Cup camp in Qatar and returned Andrew Wiggins Jersey to the U.K. after a break-in at his home 2 HOURS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS

Astros take on the Orioles in first of 3-game series August 26 sharefacebooktwitterredditlink Baltimore Orioles (65 Golden State Warriors Jeresy -59, fourth in the AL East) vs. Houston Astros (81-45, first in the AL West)Houston; Friday, 8:10 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Orioles: Kyle Bradish (1-5, 6.25 ERA, 1.65 WHIP, 73 strikeouts); Astros: Lance McCullers Jr. (1-1, 2.45 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 11 strikeouts) LINE: Astros -229, Orioles +185; over/under is 8 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Houston Astros begin a three-game series at home against the Baltimore Orioles on Friday.Houston has gone 42-18 in home games and 81-45 overall. The Astros have the third-ranked team on-base percentage in the AL at .319.Baltimore has a 28-35 record on the road and a 65-59 record overall. The Orioles have the seventh-ranked team slugging percentage in the AL at .392.Friday's game is the first time these teams square off this season.TOP PERFORMERS: Alex Bregman has 34 doubles and 19 home runs for the Astros. Kyle Tucker is 14-for-38 with five doubles and a home run over the past 10 games.Anthony Santander is second on the Orioles with 42 extra base hits (20 doubles and 22 home runs). Ryan Mountcastle Glenn Robinson III Jersey is 9-for-39 with three home runs and 10 RBI over the past 10 games.LAST 10 GAMES: Astros: 6-4, .284 batting average, 3.58 ERA, outscored opponents by 17 runsOrioles: 6-4, .232 batting average, 3.56 ERA, outscored opponents by seven runsINJURIES: Astros: Ryan Pre sly: 15-Day IL (neck), Kyle Tucker: day-to-day (foot), Chas McCormick: day-to-day (finger), Aledmys Diaz: 10-Day IL (groin), Michael Brantley: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Jason Castro: 60-Day IL (knee), Blake Taylor: 60-Day IL (elbow), Josh James: 60-Day IL (lat)Orioles: Tyler Wells: 15-Day IL (side), Travis Lakins: 60-Day IL (elbow), Alexander Wells: 60-Day IL (elbow), Chris Ellis: 60-Day IL Damion Lee Jersey (shoulder), John Means: 60-Day IL (elbow)___The A sociated Pre s created this story using technology provided by and data from . in this topic American League Major League Baseball Baltimore Orioles Houston Astros Alex Bregman John Means Ryan Mountcastle Aledmys Daz Chris Ellis Travis Lakins Sr. Alexander Wells Chas McCormick Josh James Tyler Wells Nate Thurmond Jersey Kyle Tucker Lance McCullers Jr. Ryan Pre sly Jason Castro Blake Taylor Anthony Santander Michael Brantley Houston Astros Baltimore Orioles share World Cup fans find booze at hotels, Qatar's 1 liquor store Qatar's strict rules regarding alcohol have drawn attention as it hosts the World Cup 16 MINS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS Sterling leaves England World Cup camp after home break-in England forward Raheem Sterling has left his teams World Cup camp in Qatar and returned to the U.K. after a break-in at his home 19 MINS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS Ronaldo looks to shine like Mbapp and Me si at World Cup Cristiano Ronaldo has been overshadowed by the brilliance of Lionel Me si and Kylian Mbapp so far at the World Cup 43 MINS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS Ottawa hosts Los Angeles after Giroux's Draymond Green Jersey 2-goal game The Ottawa Senators host the Los Angeles Kings after Claude Giroux's two-goal game against the San Jose Sharks in the Senators' 5-2 win 1 HOUR AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS Penguins host the Blue Jackets following Kapanen's hat trick The Pittsburgh Penguins host the Columbus Blue Jackets after Kasperi Kapanen's hat trick against the St. Louis Blues in the Penguins' 6-2 win 1 HOUR AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS

On Sunday, the agreed to terms that sent , , and substantive cash considerations to the , pending medical review. In return, the Red Sox acquired outfielder , infielder , and catcher from the Dodgers. (In the original version of the deal, the Red Sox landed right-handed pitcher from the in addition to Verdugo.)It's always hard to extract equal value for a player of Betts' caliber, and it's even more difficult when the league knows your owner wants to clear salary to avoid trifling luxury-tax penalties. While general manager Chaim Bloom is used to Andre Roberson Jersey operating under similar, if lower-stakes circumstances with the , this deal does not appear to be the exception. Rather, the Red Sox received an underwhelming return for what amounts to the second best player in baseball, an above-average veteran starter, and a considerable amount of money.What exactly the Red Sox get in return? Let's take a look.Verdugo, who will turn 24 come May, is the veteran in Boston's return. He appeared in 158 games over parts of three seasons with the Dodgers, hitting .282/.335/.449 (107 OPS+) and accumulating 3.2 Wins Above Replacement, according to Baseball-Reference's calculations.Verdugo has shown an appreciable talent for putting the bat on the ball, as he struck out in just 13 percent of his plate appearances last season. He isn't making contact for the sake of making contact, either. He posted an above-average exit velocity last season, and his ISO was in line with other well-regarded corner outfielders, Luguentz Dort Jersey such as and . Verdugo is a candidate to trade contact for power, but it's to be seen if the Red Sox will encourage him to make that swap over the coming years (he's under team control through 2024). In addition to profiling as an above-average hitter, Verdugo is a quality fielder with a big-time arm. He should remain an a set in a corner.Verdugo has the potential to be a good two-way contributor, and perhaps more than that if he can tap into his raw strength. There is Hamidou Diallo Jersey a catch, though, as teams have been concerned about his makeup since his amateur days. Some clubs removed him from their draft boards then, and others have told CBS Sports they would not acquire him even now. There's a good deal more risk here than there would normally be with a player of his age, production, and upside.Downs, 21, reached Double-A last season in his first year with the Dodgers. (He'd been part of the winter deal with the that also included and , among others.) . Here's what we wrote:Jeter Downs, also acquired in the Puig trade, hit .276/.362/.526 with 24 home runs and 24 stolen bases (on 32 tries) acro s High- and Double-A. Not bad for a 20-year-old. Downs remains a shortstop for now, but the expectation is that he'll end up moving to Frank Jackson Jersey second base, or perhaps even the outfield. His bat should play wherever he lands -- and he figures to debut late in the season.It should be noted that Downs lacks a carrying tool -- or, in English, a high-grade component to his game. Rather, he does a little bit of everything without doing anything especially well. Depending on one's perspective, that either makes him an underrated prospect (in the sense that his sum is greater than his parts) or a riskier one ( Oklahoma City Thunder Jeresy in that he has little to fall back on if his bat doesn't translate in whole). Dealer's choice. Wong ended last season with a supercharged 40-game Double-A stint that saw him hit .349/.393/.604 with nine home runs. He's a good athlete whom the Dodgers entrusted with cro s-training at other positions. In 2019, he caught 83 times and played second or third on 26 other occasions. The Red Sox will presumably allow him to continue his impersonation, as it'll make him more attractive as a bench piece. There is some attrition risk here, as Wong has been prone to strikeouts during his profe sional career, fanning more than 30 percent of the time over the last two seasons.

The defeated the 7-2 on Thursday night ( ), extending their lead in the American League East to 5 games.The Yankees were led by left-handed starter , who entered the ninth inning with a chance to throw the seventh complete game of Major League Baseball's regular season NBA Oklahoma City Thunder Jeresy (as well as the second against the Rays). Cortes came up short in that pursuit, but he neverthele s ended Dennis Schroder Jersey the evening with a line that included eight, one-run innings over which he surrendered four hits and one walk. He punched out five batters.Cortes, 27, had ama sed a 1.80 ERA (206 ERA+) and a 5.09 strikeout-to-walk ratio over his first eight starts. Thursday's performance lowers his seasonal ERA to 1.70.The Yankees were paced offensively by leadoff hitter . He drove in a pair of runs, including the first of the game in the sixth inning. Judge later extended the Yankees' lead to 5-0 in the ninth with a sacrifice fly. Josh Hall Jersey The Rays were able to rally for a pair of runs in the ninth inning. chased Cortes with a leadoff single. Franco subsequently scored on a infield single several batters later. , who welcomed reliever to the game with a single of his own, James Johnson Jersey would cro s the plate on a fielder's choice courtesy of .The Yankees and Rays will play three more games in this series, giving New York a grand opportunity to extend their division lead and the Rays a chance to reduce the gap. The Yankees' win capped off a busy Thursday for them overall. Earlier in the day, New York signed infielder Justin Jackson Jersey to a big-league contract and reliever to a minor-league pact.

It appears the could be without 24-year-old second baseman for a while. He strained his hamstring Tuesday night on this play and his frustration probably speaks for itself:The Cubs, predictably, placed Hoerner on the injured list on Wednesday afternoon. In light of that, it Shawn Marion Jersey shouldn't be all too surprising to see that the Cubs have signed free-agent infielder Dee Strange-Gordon to a minor-league deal, .Strange-Gordon, 33, appears to be doing an NL Central tour this season. He signed with the in February and didn't make the team out of camp. He then caught on with the , but was released on May 22.In 33 games with the last season Jalen Smith Jersey , Strange-Gordon hit .200/.268/.213 (39 OPS+). He hasn't really been productive since 2017, but he hit .275 with 22 stolen bases and 1.1 WAR in 2019. As such, this is a depth signing. The Cubs currently have outfielders and on the injured list, Phoenix Suns Hoodie which means they've been playing in the outfield regularly. (The Cubs promote outfielder as the corresponding move to Hoerner's deactivation.) They had settled in with Hoerner at second base and at third. Hoerner is hitting .338/.405/.432 and playing excellent defense while Duffy is hitting .278 with a .377 OBP and has had some clutch hits. Both are now injured.This now leaves to play either second Jason Kidd Jersey or third. Bryant could swing back in to third base with playing right field beside (LF) and (CF). Bryant could also stay in right with Bote at third and at second. The remaining bench player would be .Though one can't really envision much production from Strange-Gordon at this point in his career, it's easy to see why the Cubs signed him. Their depth is really being tested with these injuries. In the meantime, riding a ridiculously hot bullpen, the Cubs are 14-7 this month with all seven lo ses having come by just one run Ty Jerome Jersey . They are now just a half game back in the NL Central and tied with the in the lo s column.